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Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S. But who's at the most risk?
A study in the lastest New England Journal of Medicine offers a simple way to predict the risk of a fatal or debilitating heart attack or stroke for a middle-aged person over the rest of his or her life.
"If at age 45 you have two or more of either elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes or smoking, and you're a man, then there's a 50-50 proposition that you will have a heart attack or a stroke during your remaining lifespan," cardiologist Donald Lloyd-Jones, who headed the study at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Women with two risk factors have about a 30 percent chance.
Having even one risk factor dramatically increases the risk of heart disease. And 95 percent of middle-aged Americans (ages 45-55) have at least one risk factor for heart disease.
In this study, Lloyd-Jones and his colleagues tallied the results of 18 long-term studies conducted over the past 50 years. The studies included men and women, African-Americans and whites. All told, there was information on more than 250,000 adults.
The specific risk factors were most important, regardless of age or race.
If you've got some of these risk factors, don't despair, though. You may not be able to get down to zero, but you can reduce the odds for cardiovascular trouble with exercise, a better diet and treatment for the conditions.
Our trusted sources explore ways and offer tips to incorporate walking into your daily life.
Groups across America, of all ages and abilities, are finding a new sense of community by walking.
Just 30 minutes of walking, five times a week, is enough to improve your overall health.
Walking is also good for mind and soul, sparking your creativity and inspiration.
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